Pocket Charts on a Focus Wall

Sunday, October 5, 2014

Hi everyone! It's Nicole from Teaching With Style!

My school is implementing the new Common Core aligned Reading Wonders series. We are required to teach the program as-is this year, then can make tweaks to it next year. We are also required to have a focus wall to display the week's information.

I decided to use pocket charts so I don't have to staple things up each week. I hung them on thumb tacks, so the chart itself is easy to take down. And during my spelling test, I just have to turn the chart around! I even tacked up mini binder clips to hold my Essential Question sentence strip! My comprehension and genre posters are inside dry-erase pockets that I accidentally bought too small. Perfect use for them!

I was inspired by Nicole from Rowdy in Room 300's post about close reading last year. I loved the simplicity of her labels and that Hauracherell font is just so cute! She sweetly gave me permission to make my own set using her design :)

If you are teaching Wonders this year, too, you can grab a copy of my labels. I backed them with rainbow paper that matches my Bugs theme from Schoolgirl Style. But you can cut that part off and back them with construction paper or scrapbook paper.

Click the photo to download your copy!

And SURPRISE! Nicole A (so you don't get us confused, I'm Nicole H :) gave me permission to share that cute banner that is on my focus wall in my classroom (that she made for herself, but then didn't have room to put up!) It's now an EXCLUSIVE Owls freebie! Thanks Nicole A!